Wormerine

Further scoop on StarWars games in the making. Seems like Respawn is "overseeing" other StarWars projects. 1) There is already roumors sequel to rather decent Respawn's own Fallen Order 2) There is Star Wars FPS lead by one of the creators of Force Unleashed, Empire at War and original SW: Battlefronts 3) and previously mentioned ex-Firaxis turn based tactics studios, Bit Reactor is working on Star Wars strategy game.

I played NWN2 many times, but I would consider my 3.5e knowledge to be basic. I always found it to be convoluted and not rewarding to learn - complicated but not complex kind of design. Pathfinder seemed to be on another level, with illogical exceptions, spells requiring one very particular counterspell (which is normal for D&D but becomes unweildy due to how much junk like that Pathfinder had). I suppose the downside of Kingmaker for me was it's determination of testing player's encyclopedic knowledge of Pathfinder while other D&D and D&D-like titles are more interested in campaign allowing lack of understanding of the system to slide. Heck, playing PoE1 on Hard, I wasn't forced to dive deep into the systems until I started to tackle hardest, optional encounters in the game. It helps that in PoEd figuting an encounter was saved for elite encounters - rewarding narratively and item wise. Pathfinder required it for a trash encounter, that then it would copy paste throughout 3 levels of a dungeon.

That would be a nice IP to revive.

I found it interesting, that I found PoE systems to be transparent and intuitive enough for me to enjoy the game (though the game does have some deeper oddities that could be ironed out), while I find Pathfinder to be incredible obtuse and confusing and a chore to play.

https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/625546847907364864/hello-i-dont-play-many-games-i-never-played Maybe this?

After waiting for a year, it is frustrating to then see devs charge 2x for a Steam copy then an Epic copy. It is not the end of the world. I installed the game through GamePass and will buy it later down the line on deep sale. Now if only IOI wouldn't hold my saves hostage through their always online nonesense. I think @BruceVC that you will be happy to learn that as Hitman3 didn't give me the expected £35 pricepoint, I decided to spend this money on God of War instead.

My excitement for Hitman3 disappears as IOI found a way to hit a new Epic Exclusive low. Not that the game has to be heavily discounted when it comes out on steam after being exclusive for a year, but it being deeply discounted on Epic but not on Steam feels quite offensive. I still somehow believe it is a mistake, as it just boggles my mind that they would attempt to sell the game full price on steam, while releasing on GamePass at the same time.

A group of rogue XCOM devs are opening their own studio dedicated to turn based tactics games. Those developers are mainly from art team, so the best part of FiraXCOMs. Hopefully they find right folks for the gameplay part.

Me too. Me too. While I am looking forward to Avowed nothing would make me more happy that announcement that there will be PoE3. If anything, Avowed not being PoE3 gives me hope that Obsidian didn't give up on the IP. That, or they were scared that tying Avowed too closely to PoE would tank the sales

Wow. That I didn't see coming. Is that a nail to the coffin, or the beginning of a redemption arc? I am an optimist when it comes to Microsoft acquisitions, but in past Microsoft has not been good in managing their studios. So far so good, but no title so far has been fully done under Microsoft's umbrella, so we will see how will things be going forward. As far as we know, Microsoft strategy is to buy studios who make good stuff, not interfere and let them continue making good stuff for them. We will see if they will live up to that promise, if it will work, and if the future Microsoft strategy won't change. That said, they offered this content as a last ditch nostalgia fueled pitch and were financially succesful with it in one release out of three. Considering team being burned out on PoEs, and PoE2 not making money, I would expect Obsidian to move to something else, Microsoft acquisition or not. If anything, Microsoft deal gives me hope for PoE3, if the team at Obsidian will ever feel like doing another one. XBOX Game pass is a perfect place for smaller projects which might not necessary sell on their own. EDIT: Holy crap. That AcBliz purchase includes CoD. No more CoD for PS. Unless they permit a GamePass on PS? Is that Microsoft end game? To strongarm GamePass wherever possible?

I love SM:P remake, and dancing minigame is easily my favourite minigame in the whole game. Maybe because I don't have a dance partner.

I am excited for it to be 50% off.

Because it’s never that. I don’t mind developing a love interest with a companion. Or having a companion have a romance (like in Outer Worlds). But when every companion tries to get in bed with PC or with each other it becomes ridiculous. It turns from fun fantasy adventure to one of those reality shows. And easy example of companions downgraded with romance is PoE => PoE2. We just don’t get such a varied and interesting cast in the sequel as almost everyone needs to be boinkable. I will take Sagani, Grieving Widow or Durance anytime over ripped Takehu, horny Xoti, or cool sexy Maia. And yes, I can turn down their creepy advances, but then they publically start hitting on each other, and none of them support the story as well as they could, as part of their character is designed to act as romance interest option. Honestly, I prefer Skyrim’s Sterdew Valley romances then written Bioware-like schlock. EDIT: I must also say that I found "romancable" companions to be especially problematic in more "movie" like games aka. Mass Effect. While you can, let's say reject Miranda, it won't stop the game's camera from treating her like a hot baby that you should try to bang. I think if games were more restrained with romance, until player opts deeper into it, it would be less invasive. Especially ME3 was terrible in that regard... but then again, it was ME3.

That's Phoenix Point in a nutshell. In preperation for Hitman3 I cleared last remaining achievements in H2 - mostly all I had left was Sniper Mode, and couple "easter eggs" that for some reason had achievement tied to them. Not nearly done with actually good content in it (didn't even touch alternative targets for H2 levels) but that stuff I can finish in H3. Finished Halo: Infinite. My first Halo game. I tried Halo1 leading up to H:I, but it bored me within half an hour, and I have up on mission 3 I think. As someone who doesn't generally enjoy shooters, I must say that I think it is a very good shooter, mechanically. I didn't get bored, in spite of it being extremely repetitive and light on story and lacking anything beyond shooting, I enjoyed my time spent with it. I like Master Chief voice. Maybe the story meant something to someone with more investment in the story but all I got from it that a killing maching (but with heart?) had a crush on a program lady, and now he has a younger replacement and that there were angry aliens (now dead), and now there are new angry aliens (in the process of making them dead), and there will be new angry aliens (to be made dead) in the sequel. So shooty shoot shoot and hot digital lady. Oh, I really don't like the driving system.

I think Hitman community features and live service content is a good thing. There is, however, no reason to lock game progression behind the server. While it doesn't annoy me now when I have stable internet, it still puts the game in unfortunate position, that it might become unplayable if devs ever shut the servers without adding a proper offline mode. I didn't try it, but as far as I remember you can't do mission progression without connecting online. It's a single player game - there is no reason to require constant connection if one doesn't engage with online modes. Hopefully IO will patch in a solution once they shut the servers for online content. But as it is now, you can only play the game, for as long as IO will allow.

Did it get better with DLCs? I never got deep enough to actual try DLCs 2-4. The updates to based game are certainly for the better, but from what I have seen (which is not much) DLCs seem to disconnected to really contribute. A bit like minor XCOM2 DLCs where, without War of the Chosen that tied everything together.

I did very much like the "feel" and atmosphere of PoE1&2. Hopefully they will manage (and aim!) to tranfer this to 3d space.

One of the best games I played. Easily the best "open world" game I played, with exploration purely driven by curiosity and desire to discover. Many games promise map/world/universe to explore, and it rarely feels like there is anything interesting to see. Outer Wilds mini universe is a constant stream of awe, discovery and joy of figuring some thing out. Also, a first game in a long time which managed to terrify me. Perhaps becuase of the short loop time, it is not afraid to mercilessly murder or strand you. Somehow I never got desensitized to in game deaths.

I don't think they do. Last (first?) time they tried to do it was PoE2 and I though it wasnt good. And while I am free to mostly ignore romances, it still simply limits what kind of characters our companions can be. Thinking of an interesting range of characters we get when Obsidian doesn't have to think first of what player might want to have sex with, it would be shame to sacrifice a great cast for characters for, what is ultimately, an underdeveloped "romance" feature. You "could" not think about romance from get go, and just write those with specific NPC when it feels appropriate. But being an RPG with custom character - who is to decode what is appropriate. And looking at BG3 there isn't an NPC that some player wouldn't want to have a sex scene with, as long as it'a vaguely humanoid and sometimes even if it isn't. So I just prefer Devs to not do it. Nothing to gain, much to loose. I know though, that some people care for romances in RPG, and I simply don't. And I find games without them to work better.

I don't think VR could salvage anything from DA2, nor could it make it's romances any less awkward.

Hitman3 finally getting released for real on the 20th. New Elusive Target Arcade sounds better then ET as they are not time limited and they are retryable (although one attempt per day) - I felt that one attempt ET encouraged looking at walkthrough rather then experimenting yourself. Freelancer mode sounds potentially interesting. Depending on how good the roguelike structure will be. Most importantly, for anyone who didn't yet give this game a go the whole trilogy will be out on Game Pass. I will probably end up buying H3 on steam anyway - if not now (depending on price) then later. The only shadow hanging over the game is always online nonesense. It would be shame if the game would go offline sometime in the future. Oh, and I would actually like to try the VR. Too pricey piece of equipement for me, though.

Uf, that's a good question. I would also add Skull&Bones to that. I really don't get that one. You had ship combat in AssCreed. You have Sid Mayer Pirates. Marry the two and you have a game. Add grinding, and microtransactions and you have a Ubi game.

I do mind. They are constanly awful. Leave dating to dating sims. Let murderhobo simulators be just that.

I need to give the game another go, now when I have a better PC. I know I have first one, and I might have some base version of the sequel, not sure. I used to love Total War games - it was my entry to strategy games. Nowadays it feels more like all flash no substance. Tried to get into Shogun2 and couldn’t. Shame, I do adore the setting.